“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” Buddha
Hello darlings!
I took a little time off to spend time and celebrate with my family. We had a wonderful christmas and I hope you did too.
For many, including myself, a New Year is synonym of a new start, new goals, new resolutions! It’s that fancy time of the year – if I can even say that – that we all think we deserve another chance to try again, to get it right, or simply, to be a brand new self! I applaud that! I even encourage it! However, I believe the greater achievement is when we chose to live our life as if everyday was the beginning of a new year! Good decisions, accomplishments, resolutions, better lifestyle, should all be our drive and thrive at all times.
I understand that life happens and with the ups and downs, it’s easier said than done, but don’t you think the odds are usually against us when we wait until January 1st to start a new resolution? How many of us do keep these resolutions till the end of the year?! Not many!
I want to invite you to make a slight change to the typical new year resolution this year! I want us to make the last chapter of the year 2014 a nearly perfect one, so I decided to kick start one of the most popular resolution for every year, which is weight loss/maintain, in this month of December, as a preparation for 2015!
I don’t believe in drastic diet and workout but I know that a healthy lifestyle, a consistent workout routine, a healthy state of mind, are “Must” for us to feel good and look our best.
I know we are almost at the end of the month and ideally, this post should have been out at the beginning of the month, but I’d say, let’s make the very last chapter of December a prep journey for 2015! I’d love for you to join me in this mindset!
Here are a few workout and diet ideas you may use to help in the process of making a better decision for your well-being:
1- Drink lemon with warm water every morning. It will not only help shred belly fat, but it will also help in clearing up your skin and act as a digestive aid.
2- Try juicing. It’s a great way to ensure you are getting enough veggies in your diets… It will also help as a detox, especially with all the food we are and will be indulging in this time of the year.
3- Cardio Workout ideas :
– Befit Cardio Workout
– Jillian Michael fat boost workout
– www.kodjoworkout.com has great fitness guides to get you started as well!
Via Your dailyfitness.com
Thanks for reading and best wishes for the holidays and new year!
When gratitude is a way of life, Thanksgiving is just another day to be grateful, rather than the day to be grateful… Even if I believe “Thanks” should be given daily and that a grateful heart is the one that does not need a reminder on a certain time of the year to count its blessings, I do believe that Thanksgiving is the perfect occasion to take time from our year-long hectic life to just recharge, reflect and rejoice with family and friends!
Each and every year, we have something different or new to be thankful for; I’m grateful for so many things including you guys, and I simply want to take time and say Thank You for being part of my life! This platform wouldn’t exist without you! I hope you all have a happy holiday celebration with your loved ones! Now, let us all have a special thought to the less fortunate in all possible ways!
From my family to yours… Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Halloween !
I can’t believe a year has passed since I was blessed with this beautiful and healthy little angel! This last Wednesday, with warm feelings joyful laughter, and smiles, we gathered around the youngest one in the family and enjoyed every moment as she was smashing her birthday cake in her face and giggling in joy! As I watched her clapping to the happy birthday song, I couldn’t help but shed some tears and count my blessings! I pray that the Most-High always protects and blesses her immensely! I pray that this inner beauty that she reflects and this loving and caring attitude that she innocently displays only continue to grow with time! As we all know, a first birthday party is really for the parents and the guests! It can even be overwhelming for the child, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t celebrate! We had a very minimal celebration with her sisters and my brother-in-law who was visiting! We will have her one year old photo session this weekend.
I didn’t think she can get any cuter, but when I saw her enjoying her cake, I realized that I was wrong…! 😀 She just might be the cutest thing in the entire world! 😉 – Follow me on Instagram or Facebook for behind the scene pics 🙂 –
Isn’t she the cutest?! 🙂 So in honor to my baby’s 1st birthday, I want to share a few gift ideas that I think a one year old will enjoy!
1- Pull Toys: if your baby isn’t a confident walker yet, give her the motivation to keep working on those gross motor skills with a pull toy. Expert Dakin says: “Pull Toys allows kids to practice their balance while having fun”
Pull -along cowboy ($40) available at www.commongoods.com
2-Toy Phone or Remote: If Your little one is anything like mine he’s probably already imitating you on the cell and playing “phone” with the remote and your iPod!
Why the experts love it: “A toy phone is great for imitation and language,” says Dakin.
3- Ball : Now that your babe is standing, he’ll work his motor skills by bouncing, throwing, and dropping (and dropping and dropping) a soft, textured ball.
“Think of all the things you can do with a ball,” says Hirsh-Pasek. “You can roll it, bounce it, catch it, throw it, and kids direct the play.”
Ball available at Toy R Us.
3- Gingham Nursery Robe: The perfect finish to bath time, this snuggly robe is sewn of absorbent cotton terry and features two ears on the hood to add a fun element kids will love. The Bonus? You can personalize it !
4- Musical Instrument: You know he will love this if it loves to make noise! And which 1-year old wouldn’t love to make noise!
“If parents can stand it, instruments are fabulous for learning causality,” says Hirsh-Pasek. “You can even use things around the house — pots and pans and empty bottles work.”
Musical Instrument from Target.
5- Sit to Stand Learning Walker : The Product detail says : “From baby steps to big steps the Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker™ by VTech® helps your baby develop from a crawler to a walker through adaptive technology. With a barnyard of playful friends to cheer them on, your little one will have endless fun as they learn to walk.”
Get the Sit to Stand and Learning Walker Here
5-Shape Sorter: Sorting shapes is trial and error at its most basic.”Children work on hand-eye coordination and learn how objects with similar properties go together,” says Joyce Nuner, PHD
, assistant professor of child development and family studies at Baylor University in Waco, Texas
Shape Sorter from Moolka.com
6- Bath Toys: At this point, your baby probably doesn’t need convincing to linger in the bath. After all the washing’s been done, turn bathtime into playtime.
“Kids love a bath toy that’s more than a rubber duckie,” says Kirsh-Pasek. “Look for something that requires them to be active rather than passive, and that can be used in different ways to create something new.”
Courtesy of Boon
7- College funds Contribution: He will loe this one day! “Starting early means that even modest monthly contributions will go a long way toward paying future college bills,” says Joseph Hurley, founder of SAVINGFORCOLLEGE.com and author of The Best Way to Save for College: A Complete Guide to 529 PLANS.
8- Blocks: The ultimate creative toy, blocks offer infinite opportunities for freeform play, and hone motor skill “They’re initially used for banging together, then dropping into a container,” says Dakin. “Stacking blocks starts later so this toy grows with your child.”
Block from Momma Store.
There are many developmental and fun toys that Kids will love and parents will appreciate, and these are just a few of them! As a parent, you want to make sure that the toy your kid is playing with is not recalled or dangerous. Take an extra time to do some researches if possible and always keep an eye on your child.
Thank you for reading and have a great weekend!
